


Chicken Dinner

by absolutelyCancerous (cal1brations)



Series: Misfit Carnival (AU) [5]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Carnival/Freakshow AU, M/M, geek, references to cannibalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-01
Updated: 2012-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 00:24:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cal1brations/pseuds/absolutelyCancerous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lea stifles a belch. “Root beer and chicken blood don’t taste as good together as I thought.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chicken Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> a Geek is the person in the Carnival who goes around eating the heads off live chickens, yep.
> 
> [fahrenheat451](http://www.fahrenheat451.tumblr.com) is the ringleader of this [AU](http://www.fahrenheat451.tumblr.com/tagged/the-shitty-namless-carnival), I always end up contributing to it, somehow. (the entire list of fics linked by the "AU" link--her side of the work and my own, if you're looking for the entire shebang.)

The two boys shape an odd friendship, the Geek and the Cannibal.

It’s one based off of uniqueness, off the fact that they’re generally not people one would like to be around; swallowing live chicken heads or human flesh for a living is not generally enticing for friendship, nonetheless anything moreso.

Their shows run pretty close to each other, seeing as they’re both macabre dinning acts. Lea is a bit more of a time-filler than an actual attraction—though, when he’s lucky enough to get his name slapped on a poster, it makes him feel a little more important than he generally might.  But there are times where Lea gets to duck into Ven’s show, to consume a chicken head or two while Ven is “dragged off”. Which is simply a bathroom break or something else of the sort.

Sometimes, Ventus gets to watch from the sidelines, as he’s allowed a moment to actually  _stop_  eating, though he is not released from his uncomfortable binds. (He wonders how he hasn’t gotten fat off of the utter swill he eats.) Ven watches silently as the crowd cheers and screams at the twiggy redhead, sprinting around the ring after a single chicken that struggles impossibly hard to get away, but Lea is too quick. The animal is picked up in a single swoop, Lea panting as he holds it up over his head, showing the audience, making sure they all get a good look at the feathered bird. They cheer; they think the act is over, and that the boy is going to let the animal free and welcome Ven back under the spotlight.

But instead, Lea brings the chicken to his mouth, grinning as he moves feathers out of the way, and  ** _shoves the chicken’s skull into his mouth_**. Even from where he’s sitting, which is quite a ways away from the redhead and his act, Ventus can actually  _hear_  the crunching as Lea chews, open-mouthed and bloody, before the audience, making sure they see the now chicken corpse wiggling in its last moments of life in Lea’s large, pale hand.

And the audience  _screams_.

Lea bows, making sure to cradle the chicken corpse as he sprints out from the spotlight; he knows when to beat it. But, he makes sure to give Ventus a knowing smile and a tiny wave before he ducks out of the tent entirely. _I’m expecting to see you later._

Ventus finishes his show all-out after that. Snarling at people brave enough to approach him in his iron mask, jumping up and making a complete, violent show of the blood that runs down his face, stains his shirt as he dines before these people, disgusting and barbaric. It’s rather fun, not worrying about manners and watching the people jump; they’re having fun watching such a macabre sight, and Ventus is happy he could please these people in such a way—give them the literal  _bang_  for their buck.

After his show is over, and Ventus is helped out of his uncomfortable restraints, he’s quick to set off for their rendezvous point, where they always meet. A sweets stand, set up for carnival-goers who enjoy cheep treats, sorted with cotton candies and sugary soda pops. Lea’s always waiting there for him, when they can actually meet up, holding out a soda pop for him as Ven trots up with a smile.

“How much do I owe you?”

Lea shakes his head. “On the house. You can buy next time!”

Ventus has never had to pay for pop before, not with Lea. So he doesn’t push, merely takes his drink and walks alongside the redhead around the clearing carnival grounds, people watching and making idle conversation.

“Doesn’t that mask ever give you blisters?”

Ven shrugs and takes a sip of his soda. “Depends on how much I eat with it on.”

Lea does not seem fazed, and Ventus likes that. He likes being able to talk about eating with someone who understands what it’s like to eat such disgusting dishes—though, Lea tops him in the “disgusting dishes” part.

They never go back to Ventus’s wagon, or Lea’s bunkings with other idle sideshow performers, because they both like to be able to get away for awhile, and sometimes talk about things others may not be so understanding of.

“What’s wrong?”

Lea stifles a belch. “Root beer and chicken blood don’t taste as good together as I thought.”

Ventus understands. “Grape soda tastes worse, though. That’ll actually make you throw up.”

And Lea snorts, spitting said root beer out of his nose and gasping for air as he laughs aloud. Ventus snickers at that, watching Lea wipe his face off with the bottom of his shirt. They’re messy, but they’re boys, and they’re outcasts, and Ventus is happy Lea is a little bit like him.

And sometimes, their inquiries are reversed, as they sip on soda and enjoy their evenings.

“So what does  _human_  taste like?”

“Probably a lot like live chicken, I’d guess.” He doesn’t know how to describe it, and he also doesn't quite feel like doing surch--he's only just gotten the taste out of his mouth.

Lea shakes his head. “Even chickens have different tastes, man. Is it nice and juicy? Or more like, tough and dry?”

Ventus grimaces, “The fact you can even _define_ different kinds of meat like that is a whole world of disgusting.”

“Hey, I’m not the cannibal here— _that’s_  pretty sick.”

The blond doesn’t answer. Lea takes the chance to make a jest.

“You’re not trying to plan out eating me, right? The kid who buys you pop?”

Ventus glances at Lea, smiles at the fact he’s trying to make big puppy-dog eyes at him. Instead of remaining serious, the curly-haired boy just snickers under his breath.

“At least I don’t  _choke the chicken_  before  _putting it_   _in my mouth_.”

Lea chokes on his soda as he laughs at the innuendo, swatting Ven’s arm playfully once he has enough air in his system to function properly.

Their friendship is a weird one, between discussions of vile meals and silly jokes, but it’s nice in the sense both carnival eaters are allowed to have some sense of  _normalcy_   through such a bond that they share with one another, and that’s all that really matters.


End file.
